Robert Hanssen, Opus Dei, and the Opposite of Generosity (June 7th Matthew Fox Daily Meditation)

 Yesterday, as we began our meditations on Generosity, Robert Hanssen died in prison.  He was serving 15 consecutive life sentences for betraying his country.  

 In 2001, Lesley Stahl reported on “The Secret Life of Robert Hanssen.” The former FBI agent was convicted of spying for Russia, and began serving a life sentence in 2002. He died in prison this week at the age of 79. (60 Minutes)Hanssen has been called the most damaging spy in American history who betrayed pro-American spies to Russia and got many of them killed.  Assigned to a counterintelligence unit in New York, he sold highly-classified national security information to Moscow for $1.4 million in cash plus bank funds and diamonds (!).

At first I thought to write about Hanssen would interrupt our meditations on Generosity.  But in fact, he sheds light on generosity because he demonstrated the opposite, and a spiritual term is often best approached by going to its opposite first.

 Following are some opposites of Generosity:  acquisitive, avaricious, begrudging, close fisted, costive, greedy selfish, unkind, cruel, harsh, mean, stingy, selfish and ungenerous.  

Since Hanssen did it for the money, it would seem he excelled at all these in addition to being hypocritical and disloyal to his country and his profession.  

Leonardo Leo and the right couldn't control the justices they put on the Supreme Court.  So they created a captured court -- one that explains Clarence thomas' benefactors.  Chris Hays reports.  (MSNBC)  

I wrote about Robert Hanssen when I wrote my book on The Pope's War, a history of the papacy under Benedict XVI and Pope John Paul II both of whom championed Opus Dei.  Hanssen was an active member of Opus Dei.  As is the current archbishop of Los Angeles who recently stepped down as head of the Catholic Bishops of the U.S.  and also Leonardo Leo who has been called the "third most important person in America." 

Leo, co-chairman of the Federalist society is personally responsible for the six most extreme supreme court judges and was recently in the nes for being photographed partying with Judge Clarence Thomas and his well-known benefactor, billionaire republican Harlan Crow, in the latter's backyard. 

The head of FBI during Hanssen's tenure was Opus Dei.  Opus Dei bishops and cardinals appointed under the previous two popes were greatly responsible for killing liberation theology and base communities in Central and South America.  

An insightful investigation into the controversial Opus Dei sect, founded by a priest of the Franco regime and now extending its influence across the world. Journeyman Pictures  

Opus Dei was founded by a fascist priest, Jose Escriva, and its members saddled up with dictator Franco for decades.  Opus Dei goes where the power is--especially finance, media, governmental institutions and courts.  

They got their founder, a proven misogynist who once said he admired Hitler, canonized a saint faster than anyone else in history and succeeded in canonizing Junipero Serra.  They very fond of money (and diamonds) and the power that goes with it.  

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Adapted from Matthew Fox, The Pope's War:   How Ratzinger's Secret Crusade Has Imperiled the Church and How it Can Be Saved, pp. 106-124.